Time to take a trip, going coast to coast and take in the Northern border and Southern border. Kind of a One Lap of America. Trip duration 4 weeks give or take. Car budget is $75,000. There will be two occupants and maybe a small dog. The vehicle can be either new or used, but not a MINI. What would you buy and why?
I'd buy a low mileage R52 and sell the dog to the lowest bidder then use the extra $50K to extend the trip to 4 months instead of 4 weeks. PS: In case you're not up to speed, '06 MCSc is code for R52
A gently used Caddy Escalade. This is assuming we are looking at lots of highway driving. It's tall, you can see a lot. Good for sightseeing. It's comfy. Good for long slogs on the interstate. It's HUGE, room for 4 weeks worth of stuff, the dog, all the stuff you accumulate over 4 weeks on the road and in a pinch, the mother-in-law can be transported too. Now, if you are going to toss in lots of curvy roads.... CPO Porsche Cayenne, for many of the reasons above, plus it can turn.
Get an Amish cruiser.... great "gas" milage... They come standard with run flats, just like the MINI...
I'd buy some sort of small crossover with AWD. Too many dirt roads to explore to not have the ability to do so. A Subaru Forester will take you places a lot of other vehicles won't. Lots of choices out there. Sounds like a great trip!
You bunch of old farts! Good grief! Ferrari 360 Spider. I would stick my foot in it and not lift till it was time for gas!
When I think of a trip like this, I think of something comfortable but without giving up all fun potential. Two cars instantly came to mind (both would have to be used)... Porsche Panamera GTS Merc E63 AMG wagon
All good suggestions... With that kind of budget, I'd look for a nice, late model, lease return BMW X5 Diesel. They are a very nice vehicle and get great fuel economy for their size and weight. Have a great trip!
I think a nice Audi A7 would be perfect, all wheel drive in case you hit some inclement weather, excellent road manners and plenty of room for everyone and all their schmutz.....not to mention it's a great looking car! And at $68K base price, you can buy one brandy new within your budget!
For those who want to forsake comfort for a challenge then a VW Microbus would fill the bill nicely. Plenty of room for people, pets, and stuff plus a real joy going up long steep grades and maintaining a straight line in crosswinds, not to mention the noise of the engine and the lack of air conditioning.
My dad has an A6 with the supercharged 3.0. It would be a pretty good choice. It is a fast car, and with the 8-speed automatic, still gets 30-plus mpg on long trips. But, why not go large, and get a pre-owned A8L, or a long WB Jaguar XJ, or Mercedes S-Class. Whoever isn't driving can stretch out in the back seat, and those cars cover thousands of highway miles with a ride quality similar to your living room sofa. CD
Consider the Audi Q5 Diesel. It is comfortable for two with room for the dog and luggage, but is not too big for parking or tight roads. It gets top safety ratings. It handles well, is reasonably quick (under 6 seconds 0 to 60 mph), has AWD in case of bad weather and it goes a long way on a single tank of fuel. Audi Q5 Review - Motor Trend You can get a new, loaded Audi Q5 diesel for around $60K.